Three weeks before the 2025 list of Mena's 50 Best Restaurants is unveiled, Dubai's Ossiano has received a special award for its “relentless pursuit of excellence” and ability to create “extraordinary experiences”.
The venue at Atlantis The Palm has received the Art of Hospitality Award, which celebrates restaurants that provide exemplary service. It is one of two special awards announced by the 50 Best group. The company behind the Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list, which will be revealed on January 28, has also named Yasmina Hayek of Em Sherif as Mena's Best Female Chef.
Guillaume Barray, general manager of Ossiano, says: “We pride ourselves in genuine hospitality and service paired with an unforgettable dining experience, so to be recognised for this award is a fantastic way to start the new year.”
Ossiano won its Michelin star under Gregoire Berger, but the award-winning French chef has since left. His team are currently serving the restaurant's 10-course menu, priced at Dh1,250, which includes dishes such as spirulina-coated meringue with Sicilian purple prawn tartare; langoustine with passion fruit and jalapeno; and kokotxas with cod, black sauce and Kristal caviar; and a nori tartlet with dry-aged yellowtail with wasabi ice cream and umeboshi-flavoured sesame seeds.
The Art of Hospitality Award, however, goes above and beyond food. According to William Drew, director of content for Mena's 50 Best Restaurants, the prize “is a testament to the relentless pursuit of excellence, and highlights the team’s outstanding ability to create extraordinary guest experiences”.
It's something The National can attest to. During our visit to Ossiano, not only were the staff warm, discreet and utterly knowledgeable, but midway though the meal, we were escorted to the bar and treated to a (non-tequila) tequila shot. It's a little reminder that, when it comes to a multifaceted dining and hospitality experience, there are venues where you can expect the unexpected.
The setting, too, is a case in point. Ossiano is submerged 10 metres below one of the world’s largest aquariums, with diners directly looking out on to marine life including stingrays, sharks and rainbow fish. It is little wonder the subterranean restaurant is a popular spot for marriage proposals.
Storytelling and presentation are integral parts of the dining experience. From bowls shaped like oversized crabs to cauliflower leaves mimicking the movement of corals and potatoes disguised as lumps of charcoal, the plating at Ossiano is playful and sculptural.
The Art of Hospitality Award “acknowledges Ossiano’s ability to elevate service into an art form, creating meaningful connections with guests that turn dining into an emotional journey”, says Drew.
Tomislav Antonio Lokvicic Silva, general manager of La Mar by Gaston Acurio, the Peruvian restaurant that won the Michelin Service Award in Ossiano's sister property Atlantis The Royal, notes that while the quality of food is the biggest consideration for many diners, it is not the priority for everyone. Often the service takes precedence, especially in five-star destinations where “people expect perfection”.
